Man vs. Nature

   It's nice to see the sun shining again after 2 weeks of heavy rain. Last week it was caused by typhoon Gener which unleashed heavy winds causing Roxas Boulevard to flood again. High tide combined with high waves & clogged drainage systems would of course result to flooding. This week, it got worse. This time due to a low pressure area within the Philippines which flooded 90% of Metro Manila & other areas in Luzon like Bulacan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac. It's sad to see how people are badly affected when disasters like this arises. But during the aftermath we can clearly see why it flooded. The disaster was almost man made. In my opinion, one of the major culprits are illegal loggers. Illegal logging causes water to come down from the mountains, causes dams to overflow, causes the dams to release water. Since tons of garbage have been clogging the drainage system,  naturally the end result would be flooding. Many people were trapped in their homes because water went up as high as 12 ft, maybe more. Rescue teams were sent out even at night because there were a lot of people who needed help. Evacuation centers are very crowded, children & the elderly are getting sick, there's no food, & to top it all, there's only one comfort room.
   I do feel bad for all the people affected but we should also admit to ourselves that one way or the other we contributed for this disaster to happen. Had we been responsible enough to take care of nature, nature would least stike back. All the garbage that we see, nature is simply returning it to us. It would take another 3 days to collect all the garbage. This a major social problem & I hope people would learn form this experience & realize that if we don't take care of nature, nature will not take care of us as well. 

Dinner at Casa Armas Malate

   It's my turn to treat my BFFs. We decided to eat at Casa Armas in Malate which offers spanish style dining. The interior has a very rustic feel paired with a cozy ambiance. We're not actually first timers, we normally frequent the place everytime we had the urge to eat their Paella, which happens to be their signature dish. The place is quite small with limited sitting capacity, but it's always full.
   We didn't order any appetizers that night, went right on to the main event. We ordered Pescados dos Salsas ( steames lapu-lapu with mayo), Pollo Estofado (chicken stew) & of course Paella Valenciana.

Pescados dos Salsas

Pollo Estofado

The Mini Bar

Rustic Interior

Taal Vista Hotel- Cafe on the Ridge

   It all started with a lunch buffet, then hubby decided to book for an overnight stay at Taal Vista Lodge. As expected, view of Taal was really very nice. It's one of those weekend getaways you'll never get tired of. Taal Vista lodge looks good at the outside. It's big & the lawns are well maintained. The room though was quite disappointing. We really hated the bathroom which doesn't have a door, separated only by a sink, the bath & watercloset areas have glass enclosures which shows your feet when you use the whitehouse, very uncomfortable because you lack privacy. Another disgusting thing, molds everywhere, the place really needs a major renovation. Even the beddings look dirty.
   Breakfast & lunch at the Ridge were average. There were only a few selection & refill was a bit slow. Considering the price, it's much better to go outside, there are a lot of restaurants to choose from.
   Overall, we really find the offer a bit pricey because you're not really getting the 5 star treatment you're expecting, & to think we got it on discount because they're celebrating their 75th anniversary. I would recommend other hotels or apartelles which are cheaper but also gives a spectacular view of the lake.

Dinner at Buffet 101 MOA

    It's been a while since I went out with my BFF's. We decided to try out Buffet 101 located at the bayside of Mall of Asia. The interior is very nice, quite spacious & there's room when you're getting food at the buffet table. Sometimes in order to maximize the space, tables are all cramped up making it hard to move about when getting food. There were a lot of food selection coupled with unlimited beverages including beer. The food was average, but then again, buffets have something in common, all seem to taste the same. Anyway, ate some oysters with cheese, wrong choice, woke up the next morning with diarrhea..and all the while I thought I have an iron stomach hehehe oh well.

The Main Section

Japanese Section

Cold Cuts & Dimsum Section

Our New Bundle of Joy

   Last Nov. 29. it was a blissful day for us,  our baby Nathaniel was born. It was one experience I could not truly explain, but one thing is for sure, nothing beats the feeling of motherhood. When they say you fall in love with your baby the minute they were born, they ain't kidding. Because the moment you see your baby you're just surrounded by happiness, oblivious of the fact that you're being cut up on the operating table, numb & cold. When I first prayed for a baby, I wasn't that expectant at all considering my age & the fact that I have endometriosis. But then my prayers were answered & I knew that baby is a gift from God. That's why we named him Nathaniel, it means " gift from God". Going through this pregnancy might be difficult but it's all worth it, I'm truly thankful to God & to all the people who prayed & supported me throughout my pregnancy.

Our Dear Nathaniel

  

  

Lunch At Corniche, Diamond Hotel

     Several days before giving birth, I was able to convince hubby to treat me to a lunch buffet at The Corniche, Diamond Hotel. I was really craving for good food, I rarely went out since I'm already on my 9th month & my doctor told me just to stay home to avoid pre-term labor. Besides, I wouldn't be able to go out for a month after giving birth.  Since it's their 1st year anniversary, the price was 50% off. I would say at 710.00 it's really worth it. There's a lot of food selection & the ambiance was really nice. Cool seafood section, generous servings of lobsters, crabs, shrimps, oysters. Even the japanese rolls were good. too bad I can't eat sashimi, not good for pregnant women. Since I'm gestational diabetic I was thinking I wouldn't be able to enjoy dessert. To my surprise they had several sweets that are sugarless, yey!!! To sum it all up, we really enjoyed our lunch, went home truly satisfied.

This was actually my second plate, tasting small servings of each dish

Seafood Delight :-)

Nice Ceiling Decor

Pool's Lanscaping, very nice

Horray for sugarless desserts :-)

Japanese Section

Dessert Section

Asado, Lechon Kawali, Peking Duck Section

Assorted Salads

Very nice Christmas Tree right in front of The Corniche

  

Remembering Our Beloved Departed Ones

   Nov 1, All Saint's Day, the day we go visit our beloved departed ones in their resting places. Can't believe there's over a million visiting in just one particular cemetery, & there's still a lot more around Metro Manila. It can get pretty crowded that's why a lot of people would visit a week earlier, but just the same, cemeteries were all crowded as usual. Though several rules were implemented it's so hard to control the crowd because of limited manpower. A lot of resourceful individuals were able to sneak in alcohol, sharp objects, karaokes & even video karera machines. To state it simply, maraming pasaway.
   Many people would go at least a week earlier to clean & paint the graves, but some who are financially capable would just hire caretakers especially if it's in a mausoleum. For the lawn type, it's the memorial's responsibility to maintain it.
   A lot would spend the night there on the eve in order to avoid the heavy influx on the actual day. Though in other countries it's a day of deep solemnity, here in the Philippines it's more of a celebration,  it's a day when family & relatives reunite, sort of like a picnic day. Filipinos are known for being close knitted, so eventhough loved ones are no longer with us physically, we  still observe the day with them in spirit.

Maintenance free lawn types

The biggest mausoleum in Manila Memorial Sucat said to be own by the Po clan. It has centralized airconditioning & an underground crypt

The simpler mausoleums